Improved furnace for reducing gold, silver



anastacia l naat-ewa.

WILLIAM QUA'NN,'YoF PH1LADnLPH1A,-. PENNSYLVANIA, A ssiefNon fro HiMsn'LF, -cHAnLEs c. LATHn'oPn, AND A. R..YW1TMER.

Letteqfsvlatcnt No. 94,911, dated September 1,4, 1869.

IiIPRV-QVE) FRHNACEFR REDUCING- 'GOLQ SILVER, CVOPPERAND QTHER-REFRAG- Tom: cans.-

To all whom 'it 'may concern;

Be-'it known that I, WILLIAM QUANN, of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have inventedI an Improved `Meltingland Smeltingflnrnace; and-I do hereby declarethe following to bea full, clear, andexact de scription of the same,4

My invention consists of a furnace for reducing gold,

silver, copper, and other refractory orcs, theconstruc-v -tion :and operati ,its construction and operation, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which` forms a part of this specification, and inI which- Figure 1, drawing No. 1, lis 'a vertical sectional view of my improved melting and smelting-furnace;

Figure 2, a sectional view of the same onthedine 1 2: l;

Figure 3, drawingr N o.' 2, a sectionon the line 3 4, iig. 2; `and Figure 4, a transverse section on the line 5 6, lig. 1.

Similar' letters refer to similar parts throughout the several `views.

A represents the foundation or body of thefuruace;

Act, the inclined bed;

l, the basin;`

c, the bridge;

ql, the roof.;

B, the lire-place;

e, the grate;

fand j", two openings at one side'of the furnace, covered Vby suitable doors, and communicating with the iire-place and ash-pit;. and

g, an opening, also furnished with a suitable door, and through whichV fuel is introducedto the fire-place B.

The opening g'doesnot communicate directly with the tire-place, but with 'a chamber, g1, above the latter', in which, at a point directly in front ofthe said opening, is a partition or gnard,'g2, for a purpose described hereafter.

h isa blast-pi pe, which passes 'through the front Wall of the furnace, and terminates beneath the grate c; and

h is an opening above the grate, through which suitable tools canbe'introdnced for the purpose of lev` elling the coals, &c. v

The `tapping-hole@ andy hole t', through which the slag or scoria is withdrawn from the furnace, are situatcd at points opposite to each other, and communicate with the basin b. (See iigs. -l and 4.)

It will be observed on reference to lig. l, that the roofI d ofthe furnace, is inclined downward toward its rear end, so that at the point a: there shall be but a narrow space between the said roof and the inclined beda, andat this point x, the horizontalportion of the The Schedule referred to in these Letters P atent and making part of the lame.,

furnace communicates with the lower end of a cupola, (l, which I prefer to make of the peculiar form shown in figs. l and 2, for a purpose described hereafter.

Two or more blast-pipes s, project into the cupola at points near the lower end ofthe same, as seen in figs. 1 and 2.

The vfurnace is provided with two charging-holes, j' and j', the former of which is situated near the top of the cupola, while the latter communicates with the horizontal portion of the furnace at a point beneath thesaid cupola, and each charging-hole should be furnished lwith a detachable door or cover, as shown in lic. 1.

2:"lhe heated products of con'lbustion are not permitted to pass direct-ly from the cupola to the chimney, but are conducted fromthe upper contractedv end ot' the same into a horizontal oven, F (figs. 2 and 3,) from which they pass downward, through passages Itand k', into a vessel, G, partly lfilled with salt and water, being thence conducted to a chimney, AH, at the top of which should be arranged a suitable draught-regulator. Access is obtained to the interior ofthe oven F, by means of'two doors on and m', and when the said oven is not in use, it may be-cut off from the cupola by slide, p, g. 2, in such a manner as to cause all the products of combustion to descend through the passage 7c, in their course to the chimney,

The above furnace is intended principally for the economical reduction of the ores of gold, silver, copper, 85e., `the preparation and smeltin g ot' which, as hitherto conducted, has been both tedious and expensive.

The` method of operation is asffollows:

The furnace is lirst thoroughly heated by means of a iire kindled on the grate e, and intensilied by the blast from the pipe h, this usually requiring about teu hours. The blast is then shut off, and the'capvof the charging-hole j. opened, a quantity of ore, previouslyv roasted in the oven F, or elsewhere, being introduced through this opening, u ntilthe entire lower portion ot' the furnace with the exception of the basin l) is iilled.

rlhe charging-holej is then opened, and fuel, mingled,

with the proper linx, is passed through the saine into the cupola, until the latter is filled to about the heightYV indicated by the red line y, igl, after which a quan` tity of roastedore, also introduced through the holej, is piled upon the fuel to about the height shown by the line z, both chargingeholesbeing then closed, and the blast iiom the pipes It and s forced into the furnace.

.lf it be desired, a quantity of fresh nre can at the saine time he placed int-he oven F. lo undergo .the preliminary process of roasting, in which case the slide p is raised', as showniu fig. 2, in. order that the heated gases, Ste., may circulatethrough the said oven before descending toward the chimney;

"In consequence of the cmitractedA height ofthe rear end of the lower portion of the furnace, the heat from the {ire-place B impinges directly on the orc contained on the' inclined bed a, and speedily reduces the same, a considerable portieri of the metal being volatilized and passing upward through the cupola, while the' said cupola. The conducting of the heated gases, 86e., downward through the passages k k', before permitting,

them to pass to the chimney, also aids in this reaction and retention of the heat within the cupola, and at the same time prevents the heat from passing oli' too suddeniy'froxn the oven F.

In consequence of the great heat to which the ores are subjected in the cupola, the greater portion of the metal, as itis disengaged, becomes also volatilized, and

passes with the other vapors toward the passages k and lo', and tank G.

By means ot' the salt and water in the tanl; G, the

' vapors are condensed before reaching the chimney,

and all metallic particles in the same disengaged and granulated, this metal, which is free from sulphur and other impurities, beingremoved from the tank at proper intervals.

W'hen it becomes necessary to replenish the fireplace B with fuel, the blast h is cut ofi' and the door g opened,' the flames tirst springing backward toward the latter, as usual, but being directed upward to the highest point of the chambery/1, by the guard g2,.and returning iu theconrse indicated by the arrows, by reason of the draught within the furnace. This arrangement, it will be evident, will permit the attendants to closelyy approach the opening g, and to feed the furnace with fuel without inconvenience or danger from sudden puffs of dame.

I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. A furnace, A, having a roof, d, andbed a, inclined toward each other, substantially as described, in. ccmbination with a cupola, C, of the forni, or approximating to the forni described'and illustrated.

, 2. The charging holes j and j', arranged, with respect to the cupola C and furnace A, substantially in the manner described.

3. The combination', with the furnace A and cupola C, of anoyen, F, substantially as herein set forth.

4. The combination and arrangement of the furnac-e A, cupola (l, oven F, passages k and k', tank Gr and chimney H, when the whole are arranged for joint operation, substantially in the manner described.

5. The chamber g1 and guard g2, arranged, with respect to the fire-place B, and door g of a furnace, substantially as herein set forth.

In testimony whereof', I have signed my name to this specification in the presence oi' two subscribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM QUANN.

Vitnesses:

E. H. BAILEY, HARRY SMITH. 

